Foreign Secretary welcomes President Hadi’s inauguration

Foreign Secretary William Hague has welcomed the inauguration of President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi in Yemen, the first change of Head of State in over 33 years.

Speaking earlier today, the Foreign Secretary said:

"I welcome the inauguration of President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi following last week’s successful interim presidential election in Yemen.

"This election, a constitutional requirement and key milestone in Yemen's transition, represents the first change of Head of State in over 33 years. It offers the chance for the Yemeni government to forge new trust and cooperation between the state and the people of Yemen. It is my hope that President Hadi and the National Unity Government will rapidly establish a Conference of National Dialogue and take early security and economic measures to win the confidence of the Yemeni people. National dialogue, built on the principles of political inclusion and reconciliation, is vital to peace, stability and re-integration in Yemen.

"There are those who seek to derail transition and choose violence over dialogue, as we have recently seen in Aden and Al-Mukalla in the south of Yemen. I urge all sides to peacefully embrace transition and take a place in the new political landscape. The United Kingdom and other countries are now looking to convene an early Friends of Yemen meeting to support Yemen in taking forward ways reform and create opportunities for all its people, through transition and beyond."